Feeder Prices Continued Upward
Spiral Across Country Last Week

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —(USDA)— Feeder steers and heifers sold steady to $2 higher around the country last week, some calves $3-4 up.

Feeder buyers were flooded with the bullish influences of cheap grain, fed cattle profits and tight supplies of yearling feeders, and responding by sending prices for yearlings and calves sharply higher.

Many areas of the nation are still very dry, particularly some of the major winter grazing areas. Placements into feedlots could soon be supplemented by movement into feedlots of these numbers originally intended for winter pasture that did not materialize.

Fed cattle prices in the High Plains moved $1 higher with most live sales posted at $71. Boxed beef jumped sharply higher, prices around $4 above late last week.

Yearlings weighing more than 600 pounds made up approximately 33 percent of the week's supply.

Some trading:

Texas: steers, medium and large No. 1 400 lbs. $97, 575-675 lbs. $84-86, 700-800 lbs. $80-82.50; 500-550 lbs. delivered $87-90, 600-675 lbs. $82.50-86.50, 700-800 lbs. $81-82; 660 lbs. for December delivery $84, 700-800 lbs. for January through May $78.25-83; 550 lbs. delivered for December $101.50, 725-825 lbs. for December through March $81-84.50; 750 lbs. $1.50-2 under April-May CME board; 750-775 lbs. delivered $1.50 under to 50 cents over Jan-May CME board; heifers, few 575-700 lbs. $77.50-78; 525-675 lbs. $81.50-83.25, 650-750 lbs. $77.50-79.25; 725 lbs. for February delivery $75.50, 675-725 lbs. for February through May $77-80.50; 525 lbs. delivered for December $96.50, 765-800 lbs. for December through May $79-81.50; 725 lbs. $5 under May CME board; 700-725 lbs. delivered $3.50-4 under February through May CME board.

Oklahoma: steers, medium and large No. 1 675 lbs. $83-84.50, 750-775 lbs. $79-81.50; 750 lbs. for January delivery $81.50, 750 lbs. for March $81.25, 800 lbs. for April $77.75, 775 lbs. for May $78.50, 800 lbs. for June $78; heifers, 675 lbs. $77; 725 lbs. for March delivery $75.

Colorado: steers, medium and large No. 1 few loads 600 lbs. $85, 775-825 lbs. $79-82; 650-675 lbs. delivered $84-85.60, few loads 850 lbs. $80.50; few loads 675 lbs. delivered for December $85.75, couple loads 725 lbs. $84; auction 300-400 lbs. $104-113.50, 400-500 lbs. $95.50-101, 500-600 lbs. $88-94.50, 600-700 lbs. $82-89.50, 700-800 lbs. $78.50-85, 800-875 lbs. $78.50-82, 900-975 lbs. $74.50-80.50; heifers, load 580 lbs. $79, string 775 lbs. $76; load 585 lbs. delivered $80.50, few loads 700 lbs. $79.50, load 800 lbs. $72; few loads 725 lbs. for December delivery $76; auction, 300-400 lbs. $91.50-99.50, 400-500 lbs. $85-90, 500-600 lbs. $80.50-85.50, 600-700 lbs. $77.50-83.50, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-80.50, 800-875 lbs. $73.50-77.75.

South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-600 lbs. $91.50-94, 600-700 lbs. $86.25-88.50, three loads 825 lbs. $83.50; heifers, two loads 550 lbs. $89.50, load 660 lbs. $82.

Wyoming, Western Nebraska and Western North and South Dakota: steers, medium and large No. 1 325-415 lbs. $108-114, 500-570 lbs. $88.50-91, 770-835 lbs. $81-84.25; 550 lbs. for December delivery $100.50; auction, 290-350 lbs. $110-122, 350-400 lbs. $102-115, 400-450 lbs. $97-105.50, fancy $107.50-111, 450-500 lbs. $92.75-104.25, fancy 465 lbs. $107.50, 500-550 lbs. $88.75-97.75, fancy $98-102.75, 550-600 lbs. $87-95.50, 600-650 lbs. $81-92, 650-700 lbs. $77.75-85.50, 700-800 lbs. $77.50-87.85, 800-900 lbs. $79.25-85.50, 900-1000 lbs. $73.75-84.25, 1000-1050 lbs. $71.25-74.75; heifers, 400 lbs. $94, 490 lbs. $84, 520-530 lbs. $82-83; 525 lbs. for December delivery $95.50; auction, 285-300 lbs. $105.50-109.50, 300-400 lbs. $90-105, mostly $95-100, 400-450 lbs. $88-95.75, fancy $96.25-99, 450-500 lbs. $85-93.50, fancy $94.90-98.50, 500-550 lbs. $81.25-90.25, fancy $91.50-92, 550-600 lbs. $81.75-88.10, 600-700 lbs. $76.25-85.25, 750-800 lbs. $78.50-82, 850-900 lbs. $76.50-81.75, 900-1000 lbs. $72.75-77.75.

Montana: steers, medium and large No. 1 550 lbs. $92-94, load 560 lbs. $87, 600-650 lbs. $86-88; load 625 lbs. delivered $87; auction, 300-350 lbs. $108-117, 350-400 lbs. $101-111, 400-450 lbs. $96-106, fancy $104-114.50, 450-500 lbs. $94-104, 500-600 lbs. $85-92.50, fancy $92.50-100, 600-700 lbs. $80.25-89.70, 700-750 lbs. $78.75-85.85, lot 709 lbs. fancy $87, 750-800 lbs. $75.50-85.75, 950-1000 lbs. $76.75-78; heifers, 500-600 lbs. $82-83, string 600 lbs. $82; load 585 lbs. delivered $82; auction, 300-400 lbs. $87-95.75, fancy $96-96.25, 400-500 lbs. $83-90, fancy $88.50-95, 500-600 lbs. $81-89.75, fancy $87-89.75, 600-700 lbs. $77.50-83.25, 700-750 lbs. $74.25-76.

Washington, Oregon and Idaho: steers, medium and large No. 1 550-600 lbs. $84, 600-650 lbs. $82-87, 800-875 lbs. $74-76; auction, 400-500 lbs. $94-99, 500-600 lbs. $84.50-92, 600-700 lbs. $76.50-85.50, 700-800 lbs. $73.50-79; heifers, 500 lbs. $84, 600-650 lbs. $77, 750-800 lbs. $72-73.50; auction, 400-500 lbs. $77-84, 500-600 lbs. $75-82, 600-700 lbs. $72-80, 700-800 lbs. $71-73.50.

Arkansas: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 300-350 lbs. $105-115, 350-400 lbs. $97-107, 400-450 lbs. $91-101, 450-500 lbs. $87-96, 500-550 lbs. $84-93, 550-600 lbs. $80-88, 600-700 lbs. $78-86, 700-800 lbs. $75-80; large No. 2 Holsteins, 350-500 lbs. $56-62, 500-700 lbs. $51-56; heifers, 300-350 lbs. $85-94 few to $103, 350-400 lbs. $83-92, 400-450 lbs. $81-90, 450-500 lbs. $78-86, 500-600 lbs. $76-84, 600-700 lbs. $72-80, 700-800 lbs. $68-74.

Kentucky: steers, medium and large No. 1 450-500 lbs. $88, 700-800 lbs. $76-79, 800-850 lbs. $74-75; large No. 2 Holsteins, 300-400 lbs. $61-70.50, 400-500 lbs. $62-71.50, 500-600 lbs. $60-68.50, 600-700 lbs. $59.75-64, 700-800 lbs. $62-64.70, 800-900 lbs. $59.50-62.50; auction, 200-300 lbs. $101-108, 300-350 lbs. $94-104, 350-400 lbs. $86-96, 400-450 lbs. $87-97, 450-500 lbs. $82-92, 500-550 lbs. $81-91, 550-600 lbs. $75-83, 600-700 lbs. $74-84, several $85-87.25, 700-800 lbs. $74-82, 800-900 lbs. $74.25-80; heifers, 450-550 lbs. $75-78, 575-600 lbs. $79-80, 700-750 lbs. $73-74; auction, 200-300 lbs. $82-90, 300-400 lbs. $78-87, 400-500 lbs. $75-85, 500-600 lbs. $73-82, 600-700 lbs. $70-78, 700-800 lbs. $68-77.30.

Tennessee: auction, steers, medium and large No. 1 200-300 lbs. $101-126, 300-350 lbs. $95-110, 350-400 lbs. $90-105, 400-450 lbs. $85-95, 450-500 lbs. $81-92, 500-550 lbs. $77-88, 550-600 lbs. $75-85, 600-700 lbs. $71-80, 700-800 lbs. $71-77; heifers, 200-300 lbs. $80-100, 300-350 lbs. $78-93, 350-400 lbs. $75-88, 400-450 lbs. $74-84 few $86, 450-500 lbs. $72-82, 500-550 lbs. $71-79, 550-600 lbs. $69-76, 600-700 lbs. $65-74.50, 700-800 lbs. $65-71.

Southeastern complex: steers, medium and large No. 1 200-250 lbs. $124-137, 250-300 lbs. $112-135, 300-350 lbs. $106-127, 350-400 lbs. $100-110, 400-450 lbs. $93-103, 450-500 lbs. $84-94, 500-550 lbs. $77-87, 550-600 lbs. $74-84, 600-650 lbs. $71-81, 650-700 lbs. $68-78, 700-800 lbs. $64-74; heifers, 200-250 lbs. $90-110, 250-300 lbs. $88-100, 300-350 lbs. $86-98, 350-400 lbs. $80-91, 400-450 lbs. $75-85, 450-500 lbs. $73-83, 500-550 lbs. $70-80, 550-600 lbs. $67-77, 600-700 lbs. $64-74.